Amalgamator



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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

GEORGE M. NORTON, OF SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA.

AMALG-AMATOR.

Specification of Letters Patent No. 30,085, dated September 18, 1860.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, GEORGE M. NORTON, of the city and county of San Francisco and State of California, have invented a new and useful Machine, that I call an Eccentric Amalgamating-Mill, for Reducing and ,Amalgamating Gold and Silver' Ores; and I hereby declare the following to be a true description of the construction and operation of the same, reference being had to the drawings, which form a part of this specification.

Drawing No. l is a vertical section through the mill. The outerportion, represented by letters L L, L L, is made of cast iron in one piece, with the openings N, M, O, for discharging the material, the center of which rises higher than the outside rim of the pan and forms a journal or bearing for shaft E, and thereby allows the water and material all to pass or discharge from the openings M, N, O, without the possibility of injury to the bearing of the shaft E, the top of the center L L being cupped to admit oil, which may work down and through said bearing, which prevents any oil or grease from getting into the mill to injure the amalgamation. The pan L L may be fastened iirmly to any foundation or frame which allows the shaft E to be extended below the mill, to admit of a pulley or gear, as shown by F, D, or any desired arrangement for motive power, to turn said shaft E. The shaft E passes through the center of the forearm piece V V, which is made of cast iron, and bolted or otherwise fastened firmly to the inside pan or revolving center I I, which is made of cast iron, as shown, with double rim, and suficiently less in diameter than the outer pan L L to leave a suHicient space for the material operated upon to pass through and discharge at either of the openings N, M, O, desired. To the bottom or face of this revolving pan I I are attached the various plates J J and K, for reducing and amalgamating as shown in the drawings. Plates J J and K are attached by bolts or screws. The revolving center I I with the plate K attached for amalgamating, can be raised by means of the screw on the shaft E, and held by means of the set screws or key to any desired height, to allow a large or small quantity of mercury to be placed in the bottom of pan L L, thereby allowing the mill to be used as an amalgamator alone, and suited to all classes of materials or ores,

whether in an oxid or crude state, containing gold or silver, provided said material is reduced to a proper ineness for amalgamating.

Vhen either of the plates J, J, Figs. 2 and L drawing 3, and plate Fig. 2, drawing No. 2, are used on the center pan I I, the forearm piece V, V, with the center pan I I attached, is made to revolve with the shaft E, by the use of a key, fitted to a key-seat in V, V, and a slot in shaft E, which key is made suiiiciently loose to allow the entire revolving center to settle or drop as the reducing and amalgamating plates J, J, and the false or loose bottoms P, P, become worn, which always keeps the plates J and P as close together as the material used in the mill will allow, until the plates are worn out. This grinding surface, in an annular form, as shown in the plates J and P, together with the weight of the revolving cent-er, and the motion of forty revolutions per minute, together with the even manner in which the ores are supplied through the pipes H, H, H, H, and the perfect manner in which the projecting points O, O, of plates J distribute the ores as they run into the mill, makes it the most thorough reducing machine and the lnanner of forcing the ores over`- and in contact with the mercury, makes it a perfect amalgamator.

The funnel G, G, is a circular annular casting, to which are attached the four pipes H, H, H, H, of sufiicient diameter to pass all the ores or matter required for the mill. The pipes are placed equal distances apart, that they may go between the arms V, V, and extend low enough in the center of the mill to prevent the ores and water from getting into the center L, L, or bearing to shaft E thereby preventing the bearing of shaft r E from wearing out. The funnel G, G, rests on the fore arm piece V V, and pipes H H dropping between the arms V, V, forces the funnel to revolve with the center L, L, thereby distributing the materials as fast as received in the mill, and perfectly even over the entire center, from whence it is removed by the center points O, O, of the revolving plate J, attached to the centerV L, L, which revolves evenly with the funnel. This manner of feeding through the revolving funnel Gr, G, and pipes H H on to the plate P P and between'the plates J and P, 1s then taken and forced from the Vcenter around and over the surface of the plates, to where it finds egress in one of the openings N, M, O, as described.

Fig. l, drawing No. 2, shows a face view of the loose bottom plate P P, drawing No. 1.

The circular and cross-grooves or flutes are made as deep as the thickness of the plate will admit, in order to hold a suficient quantity of mercury for amalgamating.

Plate J, Fig. 2, drawing 2, shows a face view of a reducing plate, which is fastenedI by bolts or screws to the revolving center pan I, I, to the point O, O, shown from the inside rim of the revolving pan L L to the center L L. There being an alternate space between the points to allow the material or ore as it drops or passes through the pipes H, H, on to the bottom plate P P,.and the eccentric curve to the points of plate J, forces the material from the center into the openings Z, Z, Z, Z, and then between the plates J and P which are close together. The openings Z Z crossing each other in an eccentric manner as they do, and the bottom plate P being stationary forces the material or ores to traverse around and over the surface of the plates P, P, and over the grooves filled with mercury a great number of times, thereby reducing the material or ores to a perfect powder and Aamalgamating every particle of gold or silver contained in the ores.

Plate K, Fig. 3, drawing 2, shows an eccentric amalgamating plate, to be fastened to revolving center L L, the rsame as plate J. This plate has curved cones or projecting cleats, made in a conical form, in the outside one of which, the curve is directly the reverse from the one running to the center, which prevents or holds the material or ore from passing too rapidly to the periphery of I I, which reverse motion produces a perfect whirlpool or concentration of the mercury, and thereby preventing the same from assing or escaping from the openings N,1\4, O, by which means all the valuable metals heretofore lost in the process of amalgamation, are saved. A suficient quantity of mercury should be placed in pan L L to suit the requirements of the material or ores used or passing through, to allow the projections to penetrate the mercury at least one-thirty-second part of an inch, thereby causing the matter to pass isnder and through the mercury a great number of times, which produces perfect amalgamation, The revolving center pan I I should be graduated according to the height of mercury in bottom of pan L L. The eccentric curves of the cones, cleats, or roj ecting cones, having so much greater istance to travel and being constantly immerse-d in water, prevent the direct egress of the material and holds it as heretofore described:

thereby amalgamating all the metals that Vbottom plates which fit in pan L L, the same as P P in drawing No. 1. They are made in quarter sections showing the openings entirely through the plate. The advantage of making these plates in this manner is to secure thel greatest durability, and retain the method of preventing the mercury from being pulverized and esca ing. The openings Z, Z, Z, Z, are inten ed in the bottom plates to be filled with mercury even full when the reducing plates are used.

Plates J, J, Figs. 2 and 4, drawing No. 3, are the upper revolving plates, made in quarter-sections and bolted on to the pan I I in the same manner as the others heretofore described, the openings being retained when in their proper place the saine as shown in the drawings.

Fig. 2, drawing No. 3, shows the reverse curve in the openings 2, 2, which checks the lflow of water and material in the openings, and forces the material passing through the mill to remain under and between vthe plates sufficiently long to perform most perfect reduction and amalgamation.

Fig. l, drawing No. 4, is a perspective view of the mill set up on the frame, taken from the model. The inside revolving center I, I, is shown down, ready for use, the funnel G, G, with pipes H, H, going down between the arms V V and resting in its proper place for use.

Fig. 2, drawing No. 4, is a perspective of the mill with the inside center run up by means of the clamps l, l, fastened to the fore arm piece and the arm nut 2, 2, with the thread cut in the center to fit shaft E. By means of these clamps and this nut, the whole inside center may be run up to any desired height in order to clean out the mill, or to substitute new plates for those worn out.

When the mill is properly cleansed and charged with mercury and run down to its proper place, as shown in perspective, Fig. 1, drawing No. 4, it is then ready for use with proper conductors connected with the openings M, N, 0, for disposing of the material, and conductors to the funnel G, Gr, for supplying it.

The inside rim of I I represented by dotted line I in Figs. 2 and 4, drawing 3, also in Figs. 2 and 3, drawing 2, shows the inside rim of the revolving center I I, from which line the points O, O, project to the center L L. The space between the inside rim of I I and the center L L forms a perfect funnel for the reception of all the material fed into the mill. It is here held and confined until it is removed by the points O, O, as hereinabove described.

That I claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. The combination of the circular, annular, revolving funnel G, G, With attached pipes H, H, H, H; with the annular, revolving pan I, I, and annular plates J, J and K; to compel the material to traverse from the center to the circumference, and insure the certainty of its being operated on before it can possibly be discharged at the openings N, M, O.

2. The annular revolving pan I, I, and the annular plates J, J, and K, constructed and operated as set forth.

3. The manner in Which the grooves or openings and projections in the different plates are arranged according to curved lines, as shown in the different drawings,

and the manner in which the projecting points O, O, of the plates J J, and K take the feed and force it from the center, as it passes through the pipes H H into the mill, causing an eccentric motion in the material under operation, thereby causing it to come repeatedly under the operation of the mill or machine.

4. The manner of adjusting the inside center I I with the arms V, V, so as to leave any desired space between the revolving center and bottom of the pan L L, as Well as giving it great facility for being removed and held out of the Way While cleaning out the mill or machine.

Dated at Grass Valley, Nevada county, California, the second day of May A. D. 1860.

GEO. M. NORTON.

lVitnesses:

M. M. METCALF, JAMES K. BYRNE. 

